Police in the Keonjhar district of Odisha are handing out Rs. 100 as cash reward and appreciation certificates to drivers who obey traffic rules and drive safely.

The initiative has been launched with an aim to promote the importance of obeying traffic rules and prevent accidents. So far, 50 riders / drivers have received these cash rewards and certificates. 

As part of the initiative, the police conduct random checks to see if the driver is carrying the required documents like a valid driving license, insurance, etc. They also check whether the driver is wearing a seat belt / helmet, not using a mobile phone while driving and is obeying the speed limit. Drivers are also being put through a breathalyser test. Inspectors in charge of police stations have been given the job of choosing good drivers and awarding them the cash incentives on the spot. 

Source: Times of India

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Growing cases of drunk driving in Hyderabad have prompted the police to take stricter action against offenders. The Police Commissioner has now started writing to employers about the cases booked against their employees.

The letter addressed to the human resource department states that an employee of the company was caught driving under the influence of alcohol. The person underwent counselling before appearing in court. He was later sentenced to 4 days in prison. 

The letter also highlights the fact that the legal blood alcohol limit for driving in India is 30 mg / 100 ml and urges all employees to follow traffic rules to ensure the safety of all road users.

According to a media report, the Goa Police have launched the Traffic Sentinel Scheme, which offers cash rewards to citizens reporting traffic violations.

Under the new scheme, people registered as traffic sentinels can report traffic violations by capturing a photo or video and send it via WhatsApp (Mob no. 7875756110) or email - sptrafficgoa@gmail.com or post it on Goa Traffic Police's Facebook page. The photo / video must contain the license plate of the vehicle, time, date, place and type of violation. Registered users will receive a unique reference ID and their identity will not be disclosed.

For every offence reported, citizens can earn reward points. Rs. 1,000 is offered for 100 reward points. Ten types of traffic violations can be reported through this scheme. 10 reward points can be earned for reporting violations like wrong side driving, triple riding, red light jumping, dangerous driving and using mobile while driving. 7 points are for driving without seat belt and riding without a helmet, and 3 points for parking on footpath or zebra crossing, improper number plate and using vehicle with tinted glass.

Source: Digital Goa

The Andhra Pradesh Police have inducted 242 Mahindra TUV300 SUVs to their patrolling fleet. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu flagged off the new vehicles from IGM Stadium in Vijayawada.

In addition to the Andhra Pradesh Police, TUV300s are also used by police departments in Mumbai, Rajasthan, Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh.

The TUV300 is a sub-4 meter SUV with 7 seats. It is available in six variants and is powered by a 1.5-litre, turbocharged diesel engine that produces 100 BHP @ 3,750 rpm and 240 Nm of torque @ 1,600-2,800 rpm. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed AMT.

A man on a bicycle was booked for overspeeding in Kerala. According to a media report, the man was pulled over by the highway police in Kumbala and was asked to pay a fine of Rs. 2,000. 

Kasim, who is reportedly a migrant worker, has a daily income of Rs. 400. When he told the police that he did not have the money to pay the fine, they gave him a challan of Rs. 500. The cops allegedly flattened his bicycle's tyres as well. The challan also mentioned a vehicle registration number which belonged to a scooter owned by another person.

The victim shared his ordeal on social media through a video, which soon went viral. The District Police Chief took note of the incident and ordered a probe into it. Reports suggest that a sub-inspector has been found guilty and could face further action.

Source: Indiatimes

The Kochi City Police have started using social media to increase awareness among motorists in Kochi.

On August 4, 2018, the Facebook page of the Kochi City Police added a gif file showing a scooterist riding without a helmet. A stationary helmet was positioned in the centre of the screen. Users were asked to pause the video and take a screenshot when the helmet met the rider's head. The post was created to act as a reminder to all two-wheeler riders to wear a helmet while riding.

With such posts on social media, the city police are aiming to directly interact with the public and are targeting the tech-savvy urban audience. According to a media report, they have appointed a special team to handle the social media strategy. The DCP is also said to be overseeing the strategy. Members of the cyber cell are also involved and are working alongside the police. The team includes public relation officers from every police station in the city. The efforts are coordinated with the help of a WhatsApp group.

The Kochi City Police page on Facebook has more than 14,000 followers.

Source: TOI

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As part of a campaign by the Halasuru Gate traffic police, mace-wielding Yamraj, the God of Death, was seen stopping motorists in Bengaluru. Veeresh, a theatre artist, played the part and stopped motorists who were violating traffic rules.

Yamraj was on a mission to promote road safety and stopped those who were riding without helmets or driving recklessly. He warned a few motorists saying that he would visit their homes if they continued to violate rules. In a few cases, he even rode pillion on the motorbikes.

The traffic police, to help create awareness on the importance of following traffic safety rules, conducted this campaign. They were also seen handing out roses to violators. The campaign also included street plays and lectures in schools and colleges organised by the traffic police. July is being observed as a road safety month.

This year, a total of 2,336 accidents have been reported in Bengaluru by the end of June. Of these, 330 are said to be fatal.

Source: NDTV

The Mumbai police force has got itself a fleet of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga MPVs. These will be used by the "Women Safety Patrol" teams of the department. Each area of Mumbai has been assigned one of these vehicles.

The Ertigas are in the LXi trim level. They wear the Mumbai Police livery and are equipped with blue lights on the roof, sirens and a global positioning system. When the control room receives a complaint, the nearest vehicle will reach the crime spot. Over the coming days, a mobile phone app will allow women in distress to get in touch with the vehicles directly.

The Ertiga LXi is powered by a 1.4-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. It develops 91 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 130 Nm of torque @ 4,000 rpm. The car gets a driver airbags as standard.

Source: NDTV

Images: Motorbeam

The Gujarat Police Department has obtained six new Harley-Davidson Street 750 motorcycles. These bikes have been customized for the force and delivered by Nine Bridges Harley-Davidson, the company's dealership in Ahmedabad.

These bikes are painted white with red and blue graphics, have a large windshield, blue and orange beacons, sirens, panniers, a backrest for the pillion and a crash guard at the front.

The Harley-Davidson Street 750 is powered by a 749cc, liquid-cooled, V-Twin engine which puts out 59 Nm of torque and is mated to a 6-speed transmission. Harley-Davidson claims that it is specifically designed for urban riding and provides instant response to throttle inputs, which enables it to move quickly from stop to go.

The motorcycles will be used primarily for quick response actions by the police department, including the escort of senior ministers and visiting dignitaries and emergency response as part of a natural disaster response team, among others.

Delhi Traffic Police will now take the help of dashboard cameras to penalize traffic offenders. This device will be installed on the windscreen of the patrol vehicles to capture traffic violators.

The camera captures footage of all the vehicles driving ahead of the patrol vehicle. It can also be manually focused on any specific vehicle. The software is connected with GPS so that it provides details such as location, date, time as well as speed of the car. The camera also gets an audio-recording facility which helps to recall the details later. A team analyses the footage later on and sends notices to the offenders, on the basis of their registration numbers.

Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) - Muktesh Chander, has installed this equipment in his vehicle and managed to fine over 500 people already.

This device costs between Rs. 10,000 - Rs. 15,000 and will soon be installed in more police vehicles.

Source: india today